Pillbox upgrade. My old one is too small for the amount of meds I'm on now. A few weeks ago I was diagnosed with Systemic Scleroderma, which is an autoimmune disease. The Reynauld's I *thought* I had turned out to be secondary, and a symptom of the scleroderma. I'm waiting to see my lovely consultant again for the results of a heart ultrasound, a chest xray and a lung function test, as the condition can attack my innards too, as well as the glamour of blue fingers and digital ulcers. I'm not entirely sure I fully understand the condition, but the SRUK website has been brilliant in helping me start to learn about it. I'm keeping an open mind and thinking positive thoughts about the future 😊#scleroderma #sruk#reynauds#autoimmune#raredisease

Why must #chr#chronicpain be such a vindictive bastard?! Horrible leg pain this morning as I work up, and my lower back and tailbone were throbbing in pain. I took two norco + 1 Benadryl, so I’m hoping they kick in soon. And the US #attorneygeneral thinks people with #chronicpain just need to #toughitout?’ How about they live a day in agony, then tell me to tough it out with our pain meds.

43
2

Just warming my toes on the space heater because I walked outside wearing #toms in February in #Utah and my little toes protested. #reynauds

Plagued with #reynauds , it's hard to do stuff outside. But with my new heated gloves! We will see how I handle the cold on my next adventure out in the bush. #ironman heh

31
4

Whenever I post photos of my hands I always edit the photo so they look more “normal”👌🏼 - my hands (and feet) are usually purple or beet red because I have Reynauds. .
.
.
I NEVER post pics of my hands but I wanted to be real with y’all 💁🏻‍♀️ - this, along with other health issues, is why I decided to start this health and fitness journey. A constant reminder of how I need to treat my body right. Working out has been so great in helping my circulation!! 🙌🏼 and I have so much more energy! (Coming from the girl who could take 3 naps in a day if I had the opportunity 😂😉) - starting this journey has already helped a TON and I can’t wait to do what I can to take back some control of my health! 💪🏼♥️ .
.
.
#bbg#bbgcommunity#bbggirls#bbgweek4#fitfam#healthyliving#lifestylechange#reynauds#purpleismycolorthankfully#fitness#healthjourney

Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, avocados...which one doesn’t belong? Avocados. Because despite being an anti-inflammatory, they don’t wreak havoc on your gut or your liver.
Ever wonder why they make you pay that extra $1.25 for guac at chipotle? ‘Cause its a cheap substitute for expensive, nasty pharmaceuticals. Not only are avocados delicious, they’re extremely nutritious. Avocados are high in Omega-3s, which help power your brain, and keep your cognitive abilities...well...able.
Avos are great anti-inflammatory foods, as they’re high in Vitamins E, and C. They also contain polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols which do the same. They possess persenone A which has been shown to keep inflammation at bay.
Their high potassium content is great for reducing the risk of kidney/heart ailments and high blood pressure, as well as mitigating nasty hangovers (but hey, no alcohol allowed!). Avocados are high in fiber, so they’ll keep your blood sugar steady, and your bowels...um...moving...and your body detoxed.
They’re also great healthy fats, and allow for fat soluble vitamins (like A, D, and K) be absorbed. The healthy monosaturated fats in avocados also boost your feeling of satiety, or fullness, which can lead to weight loss. These fats also reduce bad cholesterol (LDL), and have been shown to raise the good (HDL). Avocado oil is also extremely healthy to cook with, as it’s one of the few whose molecules don’t breakdown at high heat.
Avocados are also high in folate, B Vitamins, vitamin K, lutein, beta-carotein, and sooooo many more. These vitamins cumulatively help the body fend off cognitive and energy issues (Bs), vision problems (lutein), osteoporosis (K), and cancer growth.
So...if you were ever stranded on an island, and had to eat one food...choose the avocado. It’s delicious, is the main ingredient in guacamole (God Bless), and makes for great...shirts...avocaDONT YOU AGREE? PS, totally waited until this backordered shirt arrived to post this.

Essential oils...should we hop on the bandwagon? I’d say I’m 50/50 on them, but take it for what you will—we’re all entitled to our own opinions. However, I will share some of the oils that have helped with my autoimmune symptoms.
Vetiver - struggle with insomnia? I’m always tired n’ wired, or awake throughout the night with fevers. Pumping this through my diffuser throughout the night + rubbing it on my feet/taking a warm bath with it before bed had helped me chillax and mellow out...and fall back asleep, for the most part.
Lemongrass (not pictured) - supposedly it’s great for low thyroid, so I rub some on mine every AM. Does it help? I’m not really sure. But it does wake me up, and make my neck smell damn good.
Frankincense - when taken orally, it’s been linked to a reduction in inflammation. Also, adding into some vitamin E oil is great for the skin, and scarring. Topically, it’s been shown to help RA patients cope with pain.
Deep Blue - used to be a sworn user of tiger balm until this stuff showed up into my life. It’s like 10x stronger, and for those with muscle pain/fibromyalgia, I promise it’s worth the try!
DigestZen (not pictured) - I’ve personally had bad experiences with absinthe, so the taste of fennel/licorice is repulsive...HOWEVER, this has helped me with my bloating and indigestion (I have IBS badly) Give her a whirl!
Lemon - get tired of only being allowed certain teas or beverages on AIP? Throw some of these into your H2O or carbonated water! Really spiced things up.
I’m not exclusively an advocate for @doterra , but their products have served me well. When buying oils, make sure you’re buying high-quality, pure oils. Those with additives tend to have adverse effects and cause skin irritation/body reactions. No bueno! Anyone else recommend any others that have helped them?

19
4

Sorry for the silence, but I’ve been down with the stomach bug for a few days! It’s caused a bit of a flare with my GI symptoms, so my bed has been my main priority since Friday. Finally had enough energy to get up and make some soup (I thank the steroid shot), and thanks to my roommate’s instapot, it was ready in about 25 minutes. These things are God’s gift to foodies with no time. I threw in:
1 onion
8 carrots
4 parsnips
2 rutabagas
1 small cabbage
8 stalks of celery
1 box of @pacific chicken broth
8 stalks of celery
2 chicken breasts, 3 legs
4 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves
1” turmeric root
Oregano
Parsley
And cranked that b!+)H on for 30 minutes. Not too bad, and the stock was beautifully golden! Wouldn’t even be a bad idea to strain out the veggies and chicken, and drink this separate for a really sour tummy. Again, cooking AIP friendly doesn’t have to be hard, and @instapot makes it 100x easier. Bless my roommate for introducing it into my life!
#AIP#FastAIP#AIPsoups#rootveggiesaremylife#chickensoup#autoimmuneprotocol#instapotislife#instapotdoesAIP#Rutabegginyoutotrythis#sjogrens#lupus#reynauds#rheumatoidarthritis#alltheillnesses#allthefoods

In this morning’s edition of Tales From a Carless Life, Kristin found it a challenge to huff it the 2,300 steps to the gym on a frost covered and icy Monday. But she persevered because she has to combat the wine and gravy diet she has adopted and also gets to do fun things like walk by the Sigmund Freud house, silently judge all the morning smokers heading to work, and meander home with a hot cappuccino whilst wondering when the feeling will return to her toes.
#itsagoodlife#expatlife#londoncalling#babyitscoldoutside#reynauds

31
0

One of those days today....one meme just isn't enough 😖 Getting increasingly frustrated with worsening gasteroparesis symptoms (thanks prozac), absolutely exhausted and sick of everything.
Today so far : Awake since 3am. Gave up on sleep at 4.45am. Had breakfast and meds and fed the girls (Asha 🐱 and Leah 🐶). Did some yoga...with both girls trying to snuggle/play with me. Scooped litterboxes, made the beds, unstacked dishwasher, fed the boys (Grischa 🐱 and Shenka 🐱), washed up cat and dog bowls. Mediated a disagreement between Asha and Grischa. Smelt cat poop. Searched house for cat poop but couldn't find any. Hope it was just a smell... Cleaned the downstairs of the holiday cottage in preparation for tomorrow's guests. (This is my job...being a cleaner does not mix well with chronic pain, but it means I can work for my parents rather than outside of the home, and lets me set my own hours to an extent). Spent 2hrs in the bathroom fighting my body, without much success. Got heat pads and hot water bottles (had to get mum to fill the bottles because my hands won't work right today). Had lunch and lunchtime meds. Forgot to take pain meds, but no energy left to go get a drink to take them with.
Eating is tough right now, as everything makes me nauseous and triggers #GERD and stomach cramps. Not eating enough as a result, which makes me even shakier than normal. Wanted to have a bath today, but it's not gonna happen.
I and my GP suspect #hEDS or #JHS, as well as #POTS, in addition to already dx #fibro, #reynauds, #gas#gasteroparesis, #osteopenia, #ibs, #coeliac disease, non-specific allergic rhinitis, and several mental illnesses. I'm just having a bad day, possibly because I've pushed too hard this morning. The gasteroparesis symptoms are really getting to me, and I'm sick of being in pain and exhausted. Sorry for the long rant. Just needing to vent today.
#spoonie#spooniewarrior#edszebrawarrior #gasteroparesis
#spoonieyoga#invisibleillness#chronicillness#chronicpain#fibrowarrior#fibromyalgia#pain#sick#tired

Febuary is Heart disease and heart health, congenital heart defect, stroke, cancer prevention, marfan, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Low Vision, Prenatal Infection Prevention, Reynauds, Ovarian cancer, mental health.
Loin pain haematuria syndrome, retinitis pigmentosa, lymphedema, Eisenmenger Syndrome, Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, Brugada Syndrome, Noonan syndrome. Whipple Disease, Turner syndrome, ectodermal dysplasia, and gum disease awareness month.
Please let me know if I have left any out. If you have or have had one of these and would like to raise awareness, send us a message, we would love to raise more awareness about these conditions and what it's like to have and to live with them. Also, remember it's Black History Month!
Sorry this is so late by the way. So much love, strength and hope to you all - Nat xxx💜❤💛🌿🙏💪

The hardest part about this entire experience thus far has probably been the everyday struggle of work. Probably really pounding the brain fog talk into the ground, but it’s been a pretty rough week.
I’ve always been able to think...to create, to imagine, to formulate a solution, to contribute to a team effort for the better. My ideas might not be the greatest, but it’s something. I work hard. Now I feel like they dead end. Sometimes I can’t even remember what I’ve come up with, when I thought about it ten minutes prior. Sometimes I can’t even think of a word I want to use when I’m speaking in the middle of a meeting. It sucks.
What sucks even more is letting a group of people down that feel like a team, or even moreso, a family (ask 95% of us, we consider each other kin more than our own blood). Being delegated responsibilities that should be demanding (not impossible, just require thought and patience) and being unable contribute your portion to the 100% expectation level you have for YOURSELF really lowers morale—that others have for you...that just lowers anything left. Like, the resources are there...the brain that I was hired with is there...the drive and determination is there...but whatever “this” is won’t let me contribute somedays. And I’m not so sure about all of you, but I feel worse for the people/company/goals it affects more than anything. We’re a team, and I’m not pulling my weight.
Now I really don’t mean this for a pity party, it’s just the biggest struggle that I’ve faced with this (I’m sorry to complain, but part of the point of this page was for me to journal my struggles in hopes it’ll help someone). This isn’t something we ever anticipate happening, and it’s not something I ever foresaw slapping me so young. But it’s life, and it could be worse. For you, it could be worse too. Not everyday is a good one, or a decent one. But I’m still able to do a lot that most people would kill for...and I’m sure you can too. Vent out your frustrations, get it out. And move on to the next day. It’ll get better, even if it does get worse for a bit. Thanks for listening.
#aip#aipproblems#autoimmune#brainfog#brainfogdawg#givemeyourbrain